Unintentional falls at home among young and middle-aged New Zealanders resulting in hospital admission or death: context and characteristics
Bridget Kool, Shanthi Ameratunga, Wayne Hazell, Alex Ng
This study describes the characteristics and contexts of unintentional falls at home among adults aged 25-59 years that resulted in admission to hospital or death during a 12-month period in Auckland, New Zealand. Of the 335 people who fell during the 12 month period and agreed to be interviewed (in the case of death or major injury a family member was interviewed), 36% fell on stairs/steps, 31% fell on the same level, 13% of falls involved ladders or scaffolding, and 11% fell from buildings or structures. The majority of falls (81%) occurred in the individuals own home. While this analysis was not designed to identify the specific causes of falls, 24% of participants had consumed 22652 drinks in the 6-hours preceding the fall, and 24% were on 22652 prescription medications. The findings reveal several important contextual factors that can be targeted to prevent fatal and serious non-fatal falls at home among this age group.